I am a very novice woodworker. My son would like a fort/playhouse, so I purchased a book called "Housebuilding for Children". I think I can do this. The only thing I'm curious about is that it calls for homosote for the sides of the playhouse and the roof. Is this better than plywood? Is this really the best choice? Will it deteriorate at a faster rate than regular plywood? Can I paint it? Excuse my ignorance.
Thanks for any replies, Lucinda
They're still making that stuff?
Put it this way, when I was a little kid I could kick a hole in a piece of it. Only good things I'll say about it is that it cuts with a knife and makes decent archery targets for a kid-sized bow.
No.
No.
Yes.
Yes, but you don't want to.
About the only thing homosote is good for is indoor model train layouts since it has good sound deadening qualities.
My suggestion is to get another book for reference.
HTH
Lew
I had a good chuckle over that one
I didn't pick up on "and the roof" the first time I read this. For a roof old newspapers would probably hold up about as well.
Depending on how you define "deteriorate". One could argue that it comes pre-deteriorated.
So it _is_ good for something? Glad to know it's not _totally_ worthless.
iirc, it is compressed newspapers, so that is pretty apt.
I think that was what the trim boards on the gable ends of my house used to be made of. From the ground I had thought the paint was peeling. On a closer look the material was just delaminating. John
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